Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-08-19
CHAPTER Iv.-ALPHoNsE AND HIS ANNETTE

After dinner we thoroughly inspected all
the outbuildings and grounds of the sta
tion which | consider the most successful
rs well as the most beautiful place of the
sort that | have seen in Africa, and then
returned to the veranda, where we found
CmslopOgaas taking advantage of this fav-
orable opportunity to thoroughly clean all
the rifles. This was the only lCork that he
ever did or was asked to do, for as a Zulu
chief it was beneath his dignity to work
with his hands; but such rs it was he did
it very well. 1t was a curious sight to see
the great Zulu sitting there upon the floor,
his battle-aX resting against the wall be
hind him, with his long, aristocratic-look-
ing hands busily employed, delcately
md with the utmost care, cleaning the
mechanism of the breechloaders. He had
name for each gun. One-a double four
bore belonging to Sir Henry-was the
Thunderer; another, my 500 Express, which
had peculiarly sharp report was "the
little one who spoke like a whip" the
Winchester repeaters were "the women
who talked so fast that you could not tell
one word from another" the six Martins
were the common people," and so nwith
them all. 1t was very curious to hear him
addressing each gun as he cleaned it, as
though it were an individual, and In a vein
of the quaintest humor
1t was the same with the battle-ax, which
he seemed to look upon as an intimate
friend, and to which he would at times
talk by the hour, going over all his old adj
ventures with it-and dreadful enough
some of them were. He, by a piece of
grim humor, had named his ak "Inkosi-
-. y. l..
tainess. For long while 1 could not
makesout why he gave it such q name, and
at last | asked him; when he informed me
that the AK was evidently feminine, be-
cause of her womanly habit of prying deep
down into things, and that she was clearly
a chieftainess because all men fell down
before her, struck dumb at the sight of her
beauty and power In the same way he
would consult 'Inkosikaasi' when in any
dilemma; and when asked him why he
did so, he informed me it was because she
must needs be wise, having Cooked into
so many peoples brains"
took up the ak and closely examined
this formidable weapon. 1t was, as | have
said, of the nature of a pole-ax. The haft
was made OF an enormous rhinoceros horn,
and was three feet three inches long, about
an llAI II anu ~ uddIttI Nulths anu WITH Il
knob at the END as large SIS Maltese
orange, left there TO prevent the hand from
slipping This horn haft, though it was
- massive. was as flexible as cane, and
practically unbreakable; but, to make as
surance doubly sure it was whipped round
at intervals of few inches with copper
wire-all the parts where the hands grip
being thus treated. Just above where the
L. =. 1 IL,
number of little hicks, each nick represent
ing man killed in battle with it. The AK
itself was made of the most beautiful steel.
and apparently of European manufacture,
though Umslopogaas did not know where
it came from, having taken it from the
hand of chief he had killed in battle
many years before. Ii was not very heavy.
the head weighing two and half pounds,
as near as could judge. The cutting part
was slightly concave in shape-not CON
vex as is generally the case with savage
battle-axes-and sharp as razor. measur-
ing five and three-quarter inches across
the widest part. From the back Of the AK
sprang a stout spike four inches long. for
the last two of which it was hollow I'D
shaped like a leather punch, with an open
ing for anything that was forced into the
utlAoN 1T Inc tNSl4ttt tuU 70 pc pushed out
above;-in fact, in this respect it exactly
resemble6 a butchers pole-ax Il was
with this punch end. as we afterward dis
covered. that Umslopogaas usually struck
when fighting, driving a neat round hole
in his adversary's skull. and only using
the broad cutting edge for circular sweep,
or sometimes in melee. think he con-
sidered the punch neater and morV
sportSmanhke tool. and it was FOR his habit
of pecking at his enemy with ii that he got
his name of '.Woodpecker." Certainly
in his hands it was n terrible efficient one
Such was Umslopogaas' AK, Inkosikaasi,
the most remarkable aud fatal hand-to
hand weapon that ever saw, and one that
he cherished as much as his own life. Ii
scarcely ever left his hand except when he
was eating, and then he always sat with il
under his leg.
To Be continued.